Would You Forgive Me?
by The-Ugly-Turtleduckling
Summary: Kyo has never been one to show weakness in front of others. But as a series of nightmares plague his sleep, he turns to an unexpected source for solace and comfort in his time of struggle. To solve this issue, he must overcome deep-set prejudices. Kyoru
1. Nightmare

Bonjour, everyone! This just so happens to be my first Fruits Basket fanfic, and I'm not exactly sure how it got so dark so fast. Not that I mind--I love dark stories. I've always loved Kyo's story, also--he's the loner, the outcast, forever abhorred by his family because of a curse he was born into and is not responsible for (Not to mention his amazing looks and awesome personality). He also has another (really third) form--even before that was revealed, I knew something was special about him--and for some reason in every anime or manga I get into, I favor the person who has some sort of alternate form above everyone else--usually even before the second form is revealed! Faves from other anime/mangas have been Beast Boy from Teen Titans, Dark from D.N. Angel, and Inuyasha from (duh) Inuyasha. My current favorite is, of course, dear Kyo-kun from the best manga ever, Fruits Basket! So, of course, my first Furuba fic centers on him (Readers, I'm sorry/happy to say, though, that most of my later ones probably will as well). This is a Kyo/Tohru story (I've supported that couple ever since the very first book) and NOT a yaoi story, for all you people who...um, like those. Kyo and Yuki may get a little closer to becoming_ friends_, but NOTHING MORE. Okay? So...please, no questions about that if you don't mind. Sorry, for those who were hoping for...er, that.

Disclaimer: If I owned Fruits Basket, which is, in fact, owned by Natsuki Takaya, do you think I would be here, writing fanfics about the manga? NO! I would be named Natsuki Takaya, and I would still be working on the actual books, continuing the story through volume 30 at least! I would also be an extremely wealthy genius, and would be typing in Japanese kanji. Obviously, I am none of those things. Shocking, huh? NOT!

**Chapter 1: Nightmare**

_Sometimes I fall asleep and then I lose control_

_I try to find my way out without letting go_

_And will I lose my mind if it comes back this time?_

_If I don't turn out perfect, will you be a friend of mine?_

_**-- Slow Bleed (Thousand Foot Krutch)**_

Kyo felt it first. The dark, terrible presence of the monster clouded his being with feelings of menace and hatred, distorting the temperate skies of his mind with cruel, warped indifference. He smelled it next. Its rancid, graveyard-born odor of rotting corpses filled his senses with an amazingly concentrated strength, making his eyes water and his head spin. Even in his muzzy, dulled dreamlike state, he felt ready to gag and retch from the power of its evil.

Then…he _saw_ it. It crouched, hunching its grotesquely disproportioned limbs over a dark shape in the deep blackness that constituted the landscape. The creature growled deeply—a rumbling, terrifying sound—as he crept unwillingly closer. It was as if he was being dragged towards the manifestation of his curse by an invisible gravitational pull, wandering ever closer until he could literally hear the rasping of breath shuddering its way through the thin, skeletal neck that supported its head.

As he neared the growling leviathan, it raised its reptilian face towards him. Kyo was shocked to see blood dripping lazily from its jaws, its teeth bared in a horrific grin. Then…it _spoke_. The monster's voice was deep and gravelly, ancient and laced with a wild fury.

"Want a bite?" it snarled, chuckling darkly at the startled look on the orange-haired teen's pale face. The creature moved aside from its prey, clearly enjoying this, and walked around behind Kyo. The boy found he couldn't move—he was pinned in place, frozen, while the tepid breath of the creature that haunted many of his waking thoughts bloomed across the back of his neck.

"Why don't you go over and look?" it whispered in his ear, laughing wickedly at the cat's fear. Again, the invisible, powerful force compelled him to move slowly forward, though he was fighting it every step of the way. Kyo reached the prone form lying on the ground, and knelt down next to it. He saw a tanned hand—his hand—reach out and grab the limp shoulder. Suddenly, the monster's prey became more visible, in a way that reminded him of a spotlight on a dark stage. He felt it then, too—the soft fabric on his fingertips, the cold flesh beneath. It was then that he realized what he should have discovered long ago; the body was _human_.

The teenager felt his heart speed up, and adrenaline tingled down his limbs as he again tried and failed to control his motions. Before he was able to work himself into a panic, sensible thoughts calmed him. _This can't be real. This must be a nightmare. How could that monster be outside of me?_

Then, as his unbidden hand pulled the sprawling body over onto its back, he gasped in horror and all of his sensibility drained away to shock. _No! No…no, please no. Please, no! No, no, no, no, no, no!_

It was Tohru. Her long chestnut hair splayed, unkempt, beneath her, and her eyes were closed. A deep gash in her side revealed the cause of her unconsciousness, and her cheeks were still wet from tears. Suddenly, her soft blue eyes fluttered open, and focused slowly on him. She flinched away from the stricken boy in a spasm of terror, paling, and then whimpered and curled into a fetal position as she re-disturbed her wound. Tohru slowly, painfully, sat up, and her eyes stared at him fearfully. She licked her lips, and opened them as if to speak. After a few tries, he finally heard her voice. It was raspy and dry from screaming, and it trembled with fear.

"Kyo-kun…why did you do this? Why? I'm sorry…did I do something wrong? Why did you hurt me, Kyo-kun?" she whispered brokenly, a thin line of blood trickling down from the corner of her mouth. He tried to speak, to convince her that he hadn't done this, that he would never do anything like this, that he was so, so sorry that this had happened, that he _loved_ her, but it was all in vain. The force that controlled all his motions was too strong.

Tohru continued to stare up at him, terrified azure eyes striking against her pale skin, and his nose began to sting. His throat closed up, and hot, angry tears welled in his eyes. This wasn't fair! He hadn't done anything, and the person he cared for most thought…she thought that he had given her this terrible wound. She gulped, and seemed to come to a firm decision.

"Kyo-kun…is something wrong? You know…you can…talk to me…" Her voice came harder now, and her breath had quickened into shallow, painful gasps.

He wanted to console her, tell her to lie down and take it easy, but he still couldn't move. She reached out to him with a shaking hand, and he unwillingly slapped her away. He was as good as a puppet on a string to whatever was controlling him, and his heart swelled in self-loathing as she hit the ground, _hard_. Why couldn't he even regain control of his own body? Was he that weak and worthless?

This time, when she sat up, her eyes were dimming and losing focus. Blood crept down her forehead from a scrape, and her side wound had reopened, spilling more life into the unchanging blackness of the landscape. Crystalline tears rolled openly down her cheeks, and she sniffled loudly. He wished so much to be able to lean over and wipe them from her face. She spoke, one last sentence, as she keeled over onto the hard, unyielding earth.

"Do you really hate me, Kyo?" she mumbled as death took her. He couldn't help but notice that she left out the honorific, so characteristic to her speech that it was pretty much a given. If everyone started calling him Kyo-kun, he probably wouldn't have noticed. But now...he was just Kyo?

The gentle girl's blue eyes stared blankly out into open space, and her mouth was frozen in a grimace of pain. She was gone. She was really gone. The distraught teen heard one more thing before grief tore him from the scene. The monster that stood behind him was laughing maniacally, letting loose deep thunder rolls of mirth as dark as the rotten center of its evil soul. The _bastard_!

Kyo dragged in a deep, shuddering breath, finally snapping the bonds that had held him prone for so long. He closed his eyes as the tears that had been withheld streamed in rivers down his face.

"NNOOOOOOO!" he screamed, jerking upright and opening his eyes for a moment before squeezing them shut again. He was back in his room, sitting up on his futon with the thin sheets tangled about his legs, drenched in sweat. He screamed again, the cry halting as his throat caught and jerked in heavy, loud sobs. He sucked in a quick, sniffling gasp before the tears came again.

Hearing soft footsteps padding their way into his room, he tried to grasp some control, but again it failed him—for a different reason, though. He was too swept up in his grief to care too much about anything right now. Feeling the edge of someone's pajama pants near his fingers, he grabbed onto the cloth. Clinging to it like a lifeline, he continued crying hysterically. The person—whoever it was—dropped to their knees, and Kyo switched his handhold. Grabbing fistfuls of nightshirt, he jerked the person towards him, tucking his head into his or her chest and sobbing into his cotton-swathed fingers.

After a while a hand awkwardly patted him on the back, but it did nothing to relieve the terrible feelings of guilt and sadness, hate and fear, that tore through him like icy daggers, or the uncontrollable cries that wracked his body. His chest heaved with every wail, and he soon began to get a stitch in his side, but the tears still kept flowing. He felt like a wimp--he hadn't cried in years, and now he was making a fool of himself, breaking down like this. _Oh, please,_ he thought, despair haunting his mind. _Please be a nightmare. Please!_

Kyo smelled the gentle scent of lavender on the shirt he was grasping, and wondered faintly who he must be clinging to. Whoever it was…he hoped they would forgive him. This was pretty embarrassing, to say the least. It didn't register in his half-crazed mind that there were only three other people in the house, or that he was only friends with one of the three, but it was a nice sentiment anyway.

Then he heard two more sets of hurried footsteps stop at his door. The lighter pair turned wildly and rushed in, making soft _tup-tup_ sounds against the hard floor. Then he tensed in relieved shock as he heard Tohru's voice. It was like a godsend, shining a bright beam of light into his dark world of despair.

"Kyo-kun! What's wrong? Are you okay? Kyo-kun?" she called, worry apparent in her rushed, frantic tones. She didn't sound hurt at all, and he couldn't help but notice that the honorific she used in his name was again in place. He felt her hand rubbing small soothing circles into his back, and he began to calm. But...he needed assurance. Making sure to keep his eyes closed, fearing the worst, he let go of the shirt with one hand and reached out in her general direction. After a typical "Eh?", she realized what he wanted, and grasped his hand firmly. Kyo squeezed her hand tightly, interlacing his fingers with hers, and his body relaxed. _Thank god. It was only a nightmare._

His sobs slowly subsided into raw, tired sniffles, and he collapsed into the lap of the person he was holding on to, suddenly exhausted. The last thing he heard before he fell into a deep, contented sleep was the high-pitched giggling of Shigure…from the doorway of his room.

* * *

Well...this scene popped into my mind one day, and I was like 'Huh...well, I've been wanting to do a Furuba fanfiction, so...' It turned out waaay worse than I wanted it to, but I hope I can make it better as I go on, and get used to writing the characters. I have only done Teen Titans fics to date, so I'm used to writing their personalities, and I need to adjust before I can really get into a rhythm with Fruits Basket. So, please, for those wonderful people who read this, bear with me.

I read back through this and realized that not only was this chapter freakishly short, Kyo was totally out of character. As was Tohru, I believe. I know the cat-curse-monster wasn't, though, because...ehe...I made his personality up. (sweatdrops) Anyway...if you read this, and feel like I totally suck, don't be afraid to say it in a review! I would really appreciate some critique...it is very, very much needed. I may end up rewriting this chapter one day, but it was just one of those times when you get an idea and have to write it down before it is lost forever. Hopefully, fellow writers, you understand what I mean.

Also--do you think I should write a prologue to this? Just jumping into the plot seemed a little...wierd. I probably should...to set the scene up, get the characters in character, etc. Yeah. Yeah, I should. Why am I still writing? ... Okay. Ciao, awesome people. Luv ya all.


	2. I'd Honestly Rather Be Dreaming

Hey, y'all!!! Sorry it took so friggin' long to get this out to ya, but I have been BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!!! What with sports, schoolwork, and daily life, I have had no free time to do anything I want to do. I barely even have time to sleep. Now that I'm on spring break, though, I can procrastinate on my homework with a little jaunt on Fanfiction!!! Genius, eh??? Well, anyways, let's get to the long-awaited Chapter 2, shall we?

Disclaimer: Fruits Basket? Nope, don't own it. Never will. That makes me sad, but such is life!

* * *

**Would You Forgive Me? Chapter 2: I'd Honestly Rather Be Dreaming...**

_I try to make it through my life, in my way there's you  
I try to make it through these lies, that's all I do_

_Just don't deny it  
Don't try to fight this and deal with it, yeah  
Just deal with it_

_You try to break me,  
You wanna break me...bit by bit,  
That's just part of it_

_If you were dead or still alive  
I don't care, I don't care  
Just go and leave this all behind  
Cause I swear, I don't care_

_I try to make you see my side  
Always trying to stay in line  
But your eyes see right through  
That's all they do_

_I'm getting tired of this shit  
I've got no room when it's like this  
What you want of me just deal with it_

_**--"I Don't Care" (Three Days Grace)**_

Kyo awoke to feel a cool, gentle pressure pushing down upon his forehead. His eyes opened, then quickly shut as the sunlight penetrated his catlike irises and left a burning imprint in the center of his vision. He tried again, this time slitting his eyes and slowly allowing them to adjust to the brightness. The first thing he remembered was the suffocating fear. His chest constricted with the jagged gulps of air that rattled through his lungs, and pain shot through his entire body as he fell into a state of panic for no apparent reason. As adrenaline pumped into his bloodstream, his mind cleared into uncanny sharpness, and his memories of the night before blasted into his consciousness with the power of a speeding bullet. He shuddered when the bloody visage of his evil counterpart shot into his mind and seemed, for a moment, to leap into the room, a tangible presence that refused to relenquish its hold on the boy's sanity.

It disappeared, however, as he shook his head and sat up. A damp washcloth peeled from his forehead and thumped wetly into his lap. Picking it up, he realized it was pink, and raised it to his face. It smelled just like strawberries. This was when he noticed for the first time that he was neatly tucked into his futon, the blanket that was normally rumpled, crumpled, and kicked aside now stretched unnaturally smooth and taut across his long legs. A soft, rhythmic sound came from his left, and he shifted his gaze over to its source. His heart skipped a beat when he saw who it was, and his cheeks warmed with affection. Tohru knelt beside him, slumped over onto a bucket full of water. She snored lightly and her hair tumbled messily over her shoulders and into the basin. She was still clad in her modest cotton pajamas, and looked as if she had stayed up all night, judging by the dark circles that lay under her eyes.

The boy shifted slightly in his futon, uncertain what to do. Reaching a decision, he slipped from his sheets and rose, stretching languidly in the chill morning air. Padding across his room to the corner, where he kept his spare blankets, he grabbed his favorite one, a soft red-and-white patchwork cover made of some kind of algodon mixture. Being a male, he didn't know exactly what that meant, but he knew it was warm and comfortable. Kyo draped the blanket over his arms, chest, and shoulders and walked back over to where the girl lay. Remembering fondly that she was quite a heavy sleeper, he glanced around to assure himself that no one else was nearby and slipped his covered arms beneath her knees and shoulders. The teenager then gently hefted her disturbingly light form, making sure, despite the inch or so of protection, that her body never touched his. He shifted her around and knelt, setting her down onto his still-warm futon. Tohru sleepily smiled and rolled over, snuggling into the well-worn mattress. He grinned affectionately and draped the blanket he held over her, carefully tucking her in much as she had done for him. Before he left, he brushed her slightly damp hair out of her face, fingers unconsciously lingering on her flushed cheek.

The redhead shook himself out of his loving stupor and frowned, face glowing hotly in embarrassment and shame. He quickly collected the washcloth and water bucket and strode from the room, sliding his door shut quietly behind him. His footsteps echoed through the hallway as he made his way down to the kitchen. It was strangely empty, as the resident female was usually seen puttering around cheerfully, making a meal or cleaning up the house. Neither of the others were up of course, Shigure having actually been on a normal sleeping schedule the day before and Yuki being...well, Yuki, and not getting up on the weekends until the crack of noon. After chugging a glass of water, he pulled a towel from the rack beside the front door and tugged on his sneakers, planning on going for a run before the heat of the day set in. Stepping out into the cool morning air, his mind calmed and he instantly felt awake and energetic. His feet felt like wings as he took off into the woods, winding his way lithely between the trees and dancing over the shadows that threatened to trap him on earth by tying his shoes to the ground with one swipe of their tarry black fingers. He knew how to avoid them now, having fallen into their depressive tomb time and time again in the past. One image, of a small girl kneeling alone before her dinner table, crying when she thinks no one is watching her and wiping away any trace of tears instantly in the presence of another, always pervaded his mind when darkness threatened. With it came the knowledge of her existence, which kept his heart alight when all else tried desperately to drag him down.

He knew he loved her--he had known that for a long time. But he knew he wasn't meant to _be_ with her--no, that role was destined for someone else. Someone worthy, someone kind...someone _normal_. Someone she could be with and enjoy the company of without the fear of provoking the curse. Without the terror that would wrack her soul every time she stared at the red-and-white beads forever locked around his wrist. He was okay with that though. He had accepted this reality long before he had even met the girl--the reality that he was fated to live and die alone, the same as his incarnations before him. All he longed for was for Tohru to be happy. He wanted her to find someone that could give her everything she needed and anything she didn't. He wanted the conversations carried on by his kin beyond the bars on his window to speak of her--her fame, her joy, her wealth, her prosperity, her children, and not of the horrible abomination that they believed stained the purity of the Sohma compound. After all, wasn't that what true love was? The desire for another's happiness without any thought of the well-being of oneself? If the girl who lit his days and soothed his nights was living the life she dreamed of, he would be content. Little did he know the life she dreamed of included waking up every day to find herself in his arms.

Kyo returned to the house half an hour later, wiping his dripping face with the towel and slipping off his shoes at the door, breath coming in short, heavy puffs. As he padded into the kitchen, he heard the now-familiar sound of activity: soft humming of a long-forgotten tune serving as the base for the discordant rattling of pans and staccato thrum of tap water hitting the bottom of the sink.

_'Breakfast music,' _he thought dryly. His soft footfalls failed to alert his airheaded companion to his presence, and when he pulled open the refrigerator door to take a swig of milk, she jumped a foot into the air and screamed--a short, high-pitched yelp that overpowered the sharp clang of the sizzling pan crashing into the burner on the stove. He flinched at her outburst, raising an eyebrow questioningly as he looked at her over the top of the milk carton. Recognizing him finally, she flashed him a sheepish grin and bowed hastily, her pigtails flapping against the sides of her head like a dog's ears.

"Hello, Kyo-kun!!!" she chirped, bustling over to stand next to him. "Good morning! Did you have a nice run? Don't forget to--GAH!!!" she gasped as she realized the pan, surrounded by spilled oil and scattered eggs, was still sizzling over the hot burner, and smoke was drifting up from the piles of ruined mush as they smoldered in silence. Quickly scrambling back to the stovetop, she fumbled to switch the burner off and move the pan into the sink. The flaming pools of oil refused to blow out at her request, however, and she resorted to batting frantically at them with her hands. Sensing inherent danger, Kyo closed the door of the fridge mid-gulp, hurrying over to where Tohru stood, the back of one hand held up to her nose as the other shooed the fire away like one would a naughty puppy. Just as she hissed and brought a singed finger to her mouth, he arrived, carton in hand, and unceremoniously flung its contents over the smoldering black eggs. The fire sizzled like a rattlesnake's tail as it was suffocated, and the two watched in an oddly respectful silence as the milk bubbled on the stove and evaporated, condensing on the ceiling to form a gauzy film over the top of everything.

Suddenly Tohru began to giggle--a frantic, relieved sound that caused Kyo to turn his head and look at her strangely. She noticed, her wide blue eyes catching his for a moment before she clasped her hands over her mouth and her face scrunched up in hysterical chortles.

"Are you alright, Tohru?" he asked, stepping towards her and reaching a hand out tentatively. She shook her head, still laughing, and waved a hand in front of her, signaling him to stop.

"No, no...haha...I'm fine! Ha...sorry...hehe. Aaah," she sighed, placing her hands over her stomach and looking off to the side. "It's silly. I was just looking at the mess and I thought 'I wonder if Haru would be proud that he just saved Kureno from burning alive?' Sort of. I don't know." Her face flushed and she bit her lip as she looked at the kitchen. "Ohh...stupid, stupid!!! I'm sorry...now what are we going to do for breakfast? I ruined it."

She gazed at her feet with such sorrow that he felt he had to interfere. "Tohru, I'm sure we'll be fine. I've survived on Yuki's burnt toast more mornings than I'd like to remember, and I'm positive Shigure and the rat will be fine with having something quick today. They'll know it was an accident, so don't worry about it. Besides, after that analogy, I'm not sure I really have the stomach for eggs or milk anymore." He smiled, and she smiled tentatively at him, clasping her hands together in front of her. Then her facial expression changed suddenly as she flinched in pain. Cradling one hand with the other, she gazed down at the finger she had burnt in the hot steam and muttered a soft "_ow_."

Kyo was instantly alert, and sighed. Should he have expected any less from the clumsy girl? "Let me see," he stated. It was not a question, but a command. She shook her head and clasped the reddened, blistering finger tighter to her chest.

"No, I'm fine, see? She stuck out the hand and flexed its fingers experimentally, managing to do so with a straight face. It didn't fool him, though.

"Let me SEE," he said again, more power in his voice this time. With the reflexes of...well, a cat, he snatched her wrist and pulled her hand to him, inspecting the burn on her finger. Unbeknownst to him, her face flushed to rival the intensity of his hair.

"Kyo..." she muttered, struggling weakly against his iron grip. He frowned and held her finger up to the light, swiveling her hand from side to side to get a better view. Without precedent, he released her wrist and looked at her shocked, flustered face. She quickly ducked her head down, concealing her features with her messily cropped bangs, and he struggled to hold back a smile, a tinge of red coating his own cheeks. _She is so damned cute._

"I think it's fine," he sighed, breaking the silence by crushing the empty milk carton in his left hand as she glanced up at him awkwardly. "All you need is some salve and a band-aid, and you'll be okay." The corner of his mouth quirked upwards, and she beamed.

"Thank you, Kyo-kun!!!" she cried, her former enthusiasm returning quickly. His eyebrow twitched; it both annoyed and intrigued him when she acted like that. Sure, she was unnaturally cheerful, but he was also awed at how she managed to find the silver lining in every situation and spin her mood around 180 degrees at a moment's notice. She never showed her weaknesses in front of anyone, always putting their needs and comfort first, and in that she was strong. If only he had the same social intelligence, perhaps he would be able to overcome his frustration and concentrate long enough to finally win his freedom by beating that damned Yuki. He frowned at the thought, and her face fell, but he shook his head and turned, gesturing with his free hand for her to follow him.

He led her into the downstairs family bathroom, tossing his makeshift fire extinguisher into the trash bin as he went, and immediately began rummaging through the messy cabinets that hung above the sink, looking for the first aid kit. It was an old one he had brought with him when he moved in, bought for him by his Shishou when he was still very small. It had certainly been well-loved--an obvious conclusion, considering the boy's habit of getting injured on a regular basis--but he hoped there would be enough supplies left in it to wrap her burn. A corner of the blue plastic case peeked out from behind a bottle of Viagra (W_hy the HELL was that in there? Shigure, no doubt.) _and he fumbled for it, surreptitiously shoving the offending medication to the back of the shelf. The _very_ back. "Sit down," he told her, and Tohru obediently settled herself down onto the toilet seat, smoothing her floral skirt down over her thighs and folding her hands over one another--making sure, of course, to hold her injured digit away from the rest. Kyo knelt beside her and flipped the latches on the box, grunting at the dissaray that presented itself within: a combination of empty wrappers and half-rolled tubes of antiseptic. He made a mental note to invest a little effort in learning how to keep things neat. After flipping through the box's contents for a good while, he finally found a suitable band-aid--a small navy-colored blister bandage with a picture of a 4-wheeler on it--and a half-used bottle of burn salve with a mysterious sticky substance coating its bottom half.

"Hold still," he advised the girl as she fidgeted. She held out her finger so he could squeeze a little salve out of the bottle onto the reddening welt. The bitter smell of it drifted to his nostrils, and he shuddered a bit as he ripped open the bandage's packaging. Positioning it above the burn, he began the tricky process of placing it correctly on the injury. The material pressed into a sore spot when he tried to fasten the sticky edges to the unmarred skin under her fingernail, and Tohru's breath caught in surprise. Kyo looked up at her out of instinct, and froze. Her skin was pale with anxiety, wide blue eyes even bigger up close, and instantly the sharp tang of rusted metal filled his mouth and her eyes seemed to cry out to him--"Why did you do this to me, Kyo?". Bloody spots filled his vision as his dream revisited him in his waking hours, and he jolted backwards like a rocket, slamming his head into the bathroom door and thus banging it shut with a bass boom that reverberated around the small space. Hyperventilating, he retched and tasted bile as his stomach clenched in terror. The boy scrambled to turn the doorknob--_Gotta get out of here, gotta get out of here, GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE!!!_--and open the door, but his fingers simply would not obey him. They tingled with panic, as did the rest of his body, and his ears filled only with the roar of his heartbeat, deafening him to the worried cries of the girl who by now kneeled on the floor a safe distance from his thrashing feet.

Slowly, his heart began to calm, allowing him to slump, defeated, against the doorframe. The twisted cackling of his other half snaked around in the back of his mind, but receded as the voice of an angel rang out above all others.

"Kyo-kun?! Are you all right?! Please answer me!!!"

Opening his eyes, Kyo saw the fuzzy, distorted image of Tohru kneeling at his feet, extending a hand towards him anxiously. Her fingers alighted gently on his ankle, and he jumped, making her snatch her hand back quickly and lean away, afraid of being kicked. "K-Kyo-kun?" she questioned, worried. As his vision cleared, he saw that her eyes were brimming with tears.

"I'm sorry, Kyo! Did I do something wrong? I could have done it myself, if you are squeamish!" she blurted, frantic because she had gotten the strange notion that this was somehow her fault. Looking at her strangely, he fought the urge to break out into tears himself. But there had been enough of that the previous night to last a lifetime. He couldn't show her he was weak, so he had to suck it up and play the part of the rugged badass, just like he always did. The boy sat up against the doorframe and cleared his throat, ready to negate her fears with an annoyed 'I'm fine!' To his surprise, however, at the sight of her worried face, the words refused to come out. His tough facade dissolved in the presence of her light, as was becoming more and more common as the days went by. Despite himself, Kyo smiled. He couldn't help but think the girl was goddamned adorable, regardless of his act.

"Tohru! Tohru, I'm fine," his voice was rough, and he swallowed painfully. "It's just...there was a spider...a-and I was surprised. That's all." Tentatively, he quirked up a corner of his mouth. She seemed disbelieving at first, but then her eyes widened and she whipped around, scanning the air around her frantically.

"A SPIDER!!!??? Ah! Where???!! Where was it???!!!! Did it go away?! I don't like spiders very much!!!" she shrieked, trembling a little. Just like her to believe the teenage boy before her had been on the receiving end of an all-out panic attack because an insect supposedly showed itself. Sometimes he was grateful for her naivete.

At that moment, a knock sounded on the door behind Kyo, the vibration making him jolt and clutch his chest. '_Goddamn it! Gonna have a friggin' heart attack before the day is out!'_ he thought, pissed beyond measure.

"Ohh, Kyoooon!!!" a reedy voice sang from the other side. "What's all the commotion? Are you having a secret rendezvous with our little flower in there? May I watch?" he giggled. Kyo turned such a violent shade of red that Tohru could no longer tell where his hair stopped and his skin began. His fists began to shake in rage, and he jumped to his feet, tearing the door open to face a grinning Shigure on the other side. Without warning, the volatile teen gripped him around the neck and slammed him into the opposite wall. The infuriating mutt only smiled wider, revealing every inch of his wolfish teeth.

"Naughty boy, Kyo!!! Didn't your mommy teach you that violence is never the answer?" he chortled, leaning forward so as to invade the cat's personal space. Kyo stepped back, shocked and infuriated at the mention of someone he had long dismissed. It normally wouldn't have bothered him as much, but he was in a bit of a fragile emotional state at the moment. The dog, however, either did not notice what his phrase had indicated or did it intentionally and didn't give a shit. The ginger's eyebrows lowered and his crimson eyes narrowed to slits in his fury.

"Fuck OFF, Shigure! Goddamnit!" he huffed, spinning on his heel and dashing out of the room. Both the unusually quiet Tohru and smug novelist heard a door slam somewhere in the house, and the unmistakable thump of stomping feet on the roof above them.

Shigure laughed halfheartedly, propping his hands up on his waist, where the sash on his "author's kimono" was tied. Suddenly remembering he wasn't alone, he turned to Tohru, surprised she hadn't gone running after Kyo to coddle her little kitty and placate his wild anger, just like she always did. Instead, she had remained in the same spot, sitting awkwardly on the cold tile floor of the bathroom. Her head was turned downwards as she gazed at a little blue band-aid on her finger. The novelist saw a few glistening water droplets fall to splash onto the floor before she raised a hand to scrub furiously at her eyes, and immediately he strode over, kneeling down beside the teenager. Lifting her chin with one finger, he saw that her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. They weren't tears of any deep hurt or frustration, but rather confusion and worry. He could tell that much just by being near. The man laughed a little in his head. Funny thing about dogs. They always seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to matters of the heart.

"Shigure-(hic)-san...!!!" Tohru whimpered, drawing back and letting a few more tears fall. She fidgeted a little on the ground, finally getting into a somewhat comfortable position; kneeling with her hands clenched tightly in her lap. "I-I don't know what to do!!! Please! Kyo...he...ever since this morning! He's been really jumpy a-and...and a little sad, and he's not himself! Just now, he said there was a spider, but I KNOW there wasn't! I cleaned this bathroom top to bottom yesterday!"

As she spoke, her tears had increased in volume until they were naught but rivers of sorrow running down her cheeks. The dark-haired cynic wasn't sure exactly what he was supposed to say to comfort her—her words had come out in such a babble that he didn't know what she was talking about, in all honesty. Something about...Kyo and a spider? A spider cleaning the bathroom? Or—an even more incomprehensible thought—KYO cleaning the bathroom? Either way, she was upset, and he couldn't have that.

"Ohh, my dear little flower!" he cooed, clasping his hands over hers gently. His sensitive ears had picked up the shuffling sound of light feet walking down the hallway, and of course the man took advantage of this wonderful opportunity to do what he did best--annoy the SHIT out of his cousins--if only so they would be sufficiently incensed to rise up out of their inward-facing thoughts for long enough to notice that the world was much larger than the Sohma estate. Shigure continued on in his obnoxious behavior, drawing Tohru's small hands, still covered with his own, to his chest and letting out a fake sob of sympathy.

"If only life were fair to you, my darling! Those boys are nothing but fools! Come to me, my dear, and I promise I'll never do a thing to--" he was cut off as the expected foot collided with the side of his face. Releasing Tohru and tumbling over onto his side, he looked up with feigned injury at an enraged Yuki--the boy was practically smoking with fury, his sleepy stupor having been broken by the wheedling voice of his older relative.

"Why, Yuki! Whatever could have come over you to commit such an atrocity against your poor, sweet, _innocent_ cousin??!!! Especially so early in the morning!!! You should be ashamed!" the dog whined, acting the perfect angel. He stuck his lower lip out and grasped his head between his hands, rubbing it tenderly. His hurt feelings may have been fake, but the physical pain certainly wasn't.

"Get. OUT." the gray-haired boy spat, eyes smoldering in rage beneath his long bangs. Shigure grinned even as he squealed in mock terror.

"Oooh, Yuki-kun is SCARY!" he whimpered, toddling from the room. He could feel two pairs of eyes on his back all the way down the hallway. As soon as he was out of sight of the two youngsters, he made a beeline for his study...and his hidden stash of Tylenol. Damned boys and their violent tendencies. Not that he didn't bring it on himself, but still...they didn't have to hit him so _hard_.

Back in the doorway of the bathroom, Yuki sighed exasperatedly and leaned against the frame. He brought a hand up to his face to absently flick away an errant strand of hair and smiled down at Tohru, still seated and now looking rather bewildered instead of upset. Thoughts spun crazily behind her eyes as she lifted one hand towards the hallway, where Shigure had disappeared, and one towards Yuki--as if, by flailing wildly, she could somehow grasp the hostile threads of thought that hung between the two men and tug them out of existence. The slight teen gazed fondly at her as she did so, silently commending her efforts to establish peace despite the ludicrous reasoning behind her technique. He noticed a bandage on her left hand, and raised an eyebrow.

"What did you do, Miss Honda?" he murmured, kneeling gracefully beside her and gazing into her big blue eyes. He may not have realized it, but he was truly wondrous at playing the romantic. No wonder the girls at school, to his dismay, called him a prince. At his words, she blinked, startled, and suddenly a huge grin split her face in two.

"Yuki-kun! Did you sleep well?" she chirped brightly. With a noncommittal grunt, he tipped his head to the side and asked his question again, this time gesturing to her bandaged finger.

"Oh!" she squeaked. "It's nothing, really! I just burned myself a little on some hot steam making breakfast this morning! Oh, and I'm so sorry, but breakfast is also ruined. Would you like me to fix something else, or..." Tohru babbled, stopping only when he pressed a cool finger against her lips, shaking his head in amusement.

"No, it's fine, Miss Honda. I'm sure Shigure and I will find something to eat. You just need to be more careful. We can't have you getting injured all the time," he chided, feeling quite the father figure. This was quite an odd sensation, considering the fact that he thought of the girl before him as his own mother figure. It was a true paradox. Still, it probably made a heck of a lot more sense than anything else in his life. He was a walking, talking, karate-chopping anomaly himself, so he really shouldn't expect any less than for his relations with others to have such a transient nature.

"Oh, no, no, no, Yuki-kun!!! I couldn't let you! That's my job; I cook and clean to repay the kindness of you three! Surely it would be alright if I whipped up some onigiri, or reheated some leftovers..." She sputtered as she clenched her fists in determination and stumbled to her feet, looking out the door as if she could visualize the contents of the refrigerator in the hallway. Yuki couldn't help but sigh and shake his head in amusement. Really. The girl was hopeless. Ever the homebody, never willing to let another struggle in her presence. He didn't know of anyone who could convince her it was alright to take a day off.

"Okay, well, if you're sure, Miss Honda," he said, rising to his feet and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turned to him, nodding ecstatically. "Let's go to the kitchen; I'll help in any way I can, though. I'm not the best cook, admittedly, but I can follow directions fairly well." He smiled at her, and she grinned back.

"Oh, thank you, thank you! I'm so happy! Let's go fight this battle, heheh!" she giggled.

Soon the two were busy with a plethora of ingredients, containers of flour and milk and sugar and eggs strewn all across the counter as Tohru stirred a bowl of dough with vigor and Yuki stood by, handing her the items she needed as she asked for them. She flat-out refused any help other than that, determined to cause him as little trouble as possible. Little did she know that it likely caused him much more stress watching her fumble with a heavy pan than it would to help stir the pancake batter. Still, he put on a brave face and aided her when he was allowed to. He watched curiously, standing with a plate ready as she poured the batter into the pan in little dollops. He was intrigued at the skill with which she took the spatula and flipped the little cakes, lightly browning them on each side before she dropped them, steaming and fragrant, onto the platter in his hands. She was good at what she did, he had to admit.

It wasn't long before they were all prepared. The gray-haired boy helped Tohru set the table for four places, and watched from his seat as she set the beautiful tray of pancakes in the center, a bowl of their garden-grown strawberries on one side and a small jar of honey on the other. He smiled proudly. They had made this meal, _together_, and even the strawberries had been tended from seedlings by their hands. It was a satisfying sense of accomplishment. Nothing could ruin this moment, not even...

"Oh, Tooohruuuuu!" Shigure wheedled, sauntering into the kitchen like the sleaze he was. "I smell something incredible coming from this kitchen of ours...could it be? You made PANCAKES??!!!" he squealed, clapping like a child and zooming over to his seat. "Oh, my dear, this looks heavenly! How did you know this was my favorite meal? Truly, you are the most excellent housewife any man could ask for!"

The novelist's monologue was cut short as he felt an icy breeze coming from his right side. Turning, he saw Yuki, glaring at him with unbelievably cold eyes. He shivered. At least he hadn't hit him. Yet.

"Oh dear...um, Shigure?" Tohru stuttered. "Have you seen Kyo-kun? Is he still on the roof?" She didn't see it, but Yuki froze in discomfort.

The dog shrugged good-naturedly. "Eh, I'm sure. Really, do we have to have him here? He only ruins the mood," he rambled. However, the girl gazed at him with such a piteous look of tormented horror on her face that he had to wave his comment off. "Oh, fine. Go ahead and call him, housewife-of-mine--OW!" Yep. Plate to the back of the head. Why did he even bother taking Tylenol? It was useless in the end.

For her sake, the girl brightened instantly. "Yes, good idea!" She skipped over to the sliding door and pushed it open, stepping halfway out to gaze up at the overhang above the porch. "Kyo-kun? Breakfast is ready, if you'd like some! It's pancakes!" Hearing a promising scuffling of feet on the shingles, she smiled and closed the door, taking her own seat. A bang upstairs and subsequent footsteps assured her of his descent. Within a few moments, she could hear him coming down the steps, and finally saw his orange mop coming in the doorway from the hall. She smiled, but he stopped dead as soon as he stepped in the door. Confused, Tohru looked from him to the table, wondering what the problem was. No leeks were in sight! As she followed his gaze, however, she saw that he was glaring at Yuki.

She sighed. When would they learn to get along? She thought that maybe, just maybe, after the way she had found them this morning, that they had reconciled somehow. But Kyo was glaring at his cousin with an intensity that could rival the sun's, hatred emanating from him in waves just as strong as ever. What confused her, though, was that although the cat seemed no different, Yuki was seemingly frozen in shock. She wondered at this. No anger seemed to come from him, only wide-eyed shock. _A deer in headlights_, she thought.

As soon as the rat had seen Kyo come in the door, his heart had stopped still. A memory flashed into his mind, unbidden, and again he felt the warm wetness of tears soaking his pajama bottoms as a boy his own age held onto him for dear life like a child would his mother. He remembered the screaming that had woken him from a deep slumber, the frantic sound of hitching sobs, and the panic he had seen in that boy's scarlet eyes--as if his whole world had come to an end in an instant of agony. He recalled the confusion, the confliction he had felt between his hatred of the man and his fondness for the child. He had seen himself reflected in the sobbing mass of despair on his lap.

_'Don't erase them! Don't leave me! Take me away from this place!'_ He shuddered at the memories of his own torment, his own darkness, and again felt the breaking of his old hatred as his hand tentatively patted his cousin's shaking back. Looking at the boy again the same morning, and seeing all the normal fury shining in those eyes, made him feel as if nothing would ever change, no matter what he did or how he felt.

The eternal suffering, the endless banquet, and the senseless chase of cat and mouse.

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Hey hey hey, y'all!!! Hahah, sorry again for taking so long...college apps and scholarships are not conducive to a writing schedule. I hope this chapter makes up for it. I like it, personally. The last bit was kinda rushed, but I hope it makes sense. :D Welp, thanks for reading, thanks for sticking with me, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review!!! It makes my day, really!!! Thanks again!!! See you next chapter!

Tsuki


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